Chapter 2 - Extra Credit

Asher

“Where the fuck is your head at, Prince?!” Coach shouts at me across the field and I rip off my helmet. I have been fucking up all afternoon and hoping he wouldn’t notice, but as usual, he does.

“Sorry, coach,” I mumble, but he wasn’t having any of it.

“Remember what I told you, Prince. No fucking up this year. 20 around the field.” He says, waving his finger in a circle and I clench my fists next to me as I gear up to do 20 laps.

Remember what he told me? How could I fucking forget? My mind wanders to the first week when we were back from Spring Break when Coach had pulled me into his office with a scowl on his face.

“Last year we had a sweet run, but we barely made it through to finals. Lose one game this season, and you’re off the team with immediate effect.” He said and then dismissed me as I sat there with a mouth full of teeth. This was just the beginning because when I got home, my father had a go at me as well.

What the fuck was wrong with me? I used to be able to keep my GPA to an acceptable level, but this year it proved a lot more difficult. Could I keep up the pretence and sail through it like I used to?

I knew the answer- fuck no.

I needed help, but I was too afraid to admit it. Thinking back to Fallon’s idea of getting Liam to help me, and I started wondering if it would be such a bad idea. I would probably get a solid B with his help. Would it be so bad?

As if the universe heard me, I hear a commotion behind me and just catch Dale as he throws a football towards the bleachers - and who else would sit there but Liam Marsh?

The team burst out in a fit of laughter and clapped Dale’s shoulder as if he just scored a winning touchdown. The ball lands in his lap on top of the book he was reading, and he blinks in surprise before looking up in the direction the ball had come from. He sees Dale and his smug expression and smiles sweetly before lightly chucking the ball back and it bounces pathetically against the ground.

“Lucky for you I’m used to taking balls to the face, Dale, but I am not interested in yours. Thanks for offering though,” Liam says and gathers his things before walking away. Dale goes quiet and his jaw and fists clenched as the team now turns on him and jeers at the comment Liam gave.

“I’m going to fuck him up,” I hear Dale comment under his breath when we all walk to the locker room to hit the showers. I was sweaty and frustrated at the way the day was going and needed to either lift some iron or have my brain fucked out, but since my libido and attraction to Fallon had faded, I opted for the former. The gym was packed as usual, and the acrid sweaty smell of jocks hit my nose. I headed over to the weight lifting section.

What a shit day. Trying hard not to think about what happened, I lift and take my anger out on the equipment. I wasn’t sure of how long or how much I lifted, but by the end of my session I felt a bit better, so I hit the showers before going home.

In the showers, I think back to Dale being on the receiving end of the insults after he threw the ball at Liam and it backfired. Just before that, I had decided to ask him for help with my extra credit. Well, I guess there goes that idea - I could never ask Liam for help now unless I become the butt of my team’s jokes too. If there was one thing I hated, it was being laughed at.

It used to happen to me all the time before I bulked up more and take my anger out on the field my first year in high school. My father was proud of course. He used to be a star quarterback here back in his day and the fact that I took up his mantle seemed to make him love me more.

Not that there was a competition - I was the only child.

When I finish my shower, I walk out into the locker room and realise that I stayed later than usual because everyone had left already. But as I near my locker, I hear hushed, angry voices.

“What the fuck was that on the field?” It was Dale, and he sounded angry. I hear a sound of a body being slammed against the lockers.

“What do you mean? You bullied me and I retaliated.” What the fuck, was that Liam?

“Yes, but that look you gave me as you said it, I don’t want anyone finding out what happened over spring break, Marsh or you’re a dead man.”

“Don’t worry, Dale. No one will know what we did.” Liam shot back and shock rooted me in place - what was going on here? A punch against the locker again.

“Shut the fuck up!” Dale exclaimed, and I heard Liam let out an exasperated sigh. “Can I go now?” He asked. Then silence followed when I heard retreating footsteps.

I round the corner as if I didn’t hear anything and see Liam standing against my locker with a look of pain on his face. He looks down and sighs as a stray lock of his blonde hair falls into his eyes, which he pushes away before pushing his glasses back. I couldn’t help but notice how vulnerable he looked right now, where before he always had an air of arrogance around him. Like he was better than you.

When he sees me, then immediately wipes the look from his face and it gets replaced with another one of his smiles.

“Hey Asher,” he greets, then puts his backpack on his back as he prepares to walk out. “I’ll give you some privacy, sorry.” He says when he sees the towel around my waist and leaves the locker room. I seriously was even more confused than before.

Was something going on between the hugely homophobic Dale and Waterford’s Golden Boy?